mithen

Title: As Long as We Both Shall LiveCharacters/Pairings: Kal/Bruce, extended familyRating: PG-13Summary: Just an ordinary day in the lives of Kal-El and Bruce-El, sixteen years later. An epilogue to the From This Day Forward series.Word count: 770

Sixteen years in the future

"Will you be going on patrol tonight, Cir?"

"Honestly, Father! I told you before I'm on Rift Duty tonight." The young woman with the tousled black hair rolled her eyes in the universal language of teenagers exasperated with their parents.

Bruce made a small huffing noise, as was expected of him. "They put you on Rift Duty too often."

"Zatanna says I'm one of the most talented young magicians on the team." Cir's pride was self-evident.

"You tell Zatanna not to let you get a swelled head," Bruce warned, and his daughter stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'll be back on patrol next week, I promise." She paused to drop a brief kiss on Bruce's head and grab one of Alfred's cookies before heading out the door, almost bowling over Kal on the way out. "Sorry, Ukr!" she called back as she ran out the door.

"Where does she get all that energy from?" Kal said wonderingly. "She'll be on Rift Duty all week and I bet she'll still outpace us as Moon Talon."

Bruce tried not to look too proud; it would be unseemly. "She said Zatanna was pleased with her."

"Of course she is," Kal said a bit smugly.

The vis-screen flickered to life: "Incoming call from Terra," the computer voice intoned.

Kal hurried to the screen as it resolved into the figure of a young man with close-cropped black hair and a face perhaps more pugnacious than strictly handsome. "Ukr!" Kon said as he spotted Kal. "Thought you'd like to know we put Luthor away again. He's done some cool modifications to his power suit. Is Dad there?"

Bruce stood to let his son see him. "Did you get any details?"

Kon looked slightly abashed. "Aw, Dad, you know I don't notice stuff like that in the middle of a battle." He brightened. "But Tim made some sketches of the new design, I'll have him send them along when he's done."

"Did you get hurt?" Kal asked.

"Nah, are you kidding me? I grabbed him by the ankles and we did a few loop-de-loops. And then--well, I admit he kind of got a couple of good shots in, but Dick used one of those bolo-things he's got and that hobbled him pretty good. And then Barbara finally hacked into his armor systems and that was it, game over. He sends his regards as always," Kon said, laughing.

"I bet he does," chuckled Kal.

Bruce watched as they continued to swap stories of recent battles, wondering not for the first time how it worked out that their son, so much like his Kryptonian parent, loved Earth so dearly, while their quiet, intense, driven daughter was Kryptonian to her core. Genetics were strange.

Kon signed off with a promise to Bruce to send Tim's sketches along and a promise to Kal to come back for Lara's birthday next week. Kal promised in return that Superman and Batman would be on patrol on Earth after the birthday party. He sighed as he stepped away from the vis-screen, and Bruce managed to keep from rolling his eyes. Here it comes again.

"I just don't like to think of Kon running around with that gang of his," Kal said.

"They're hardly a 'gang,'" Bruce said patiently.

"They seem so young. Even that faux-Nightwing is barely out of college."

"There's nothing 'faux' about Dick," Bruce said, taking Kal's hand and leading him to the couch. "He chose his name in honor of us, and he lives up to it every day. I couldn't ask for a better namesake." He pulled Kal down onto the couch with him, lying down and tangling their legs together. "You worry too much."

"I worry too much? You're the one who had to be stopped from planting bugs in all of Kon's clothing."

"That was years ago," Bruce said airily. "I'm totally over that now."

"Or you still haven't figured out how to keep him or Barbara from detecting them."

"Well...that too."

Kal laughed and kissed Bruce's neck. "They're good kids. We're lucky." His kisses trailed a bit lower, and then his hands joined in. Bruce wrapped his legs around Kal and pulled him closer, and for a while there was nothing but small sounds of pleasure in the darkening room.

Then a light suddenly streamed in through the skylight, and both of them sat up hurriedly. A beam of light split the sky, filling it with a bright symbol: a circle like a yin-yang sign, with a blue curved wing on one side and a crimson flame on the other.

I think loving the Earth probably came first. I figure he was Superman and Batman's sidekick at times and just ended up loving it (I also suppose he doesn't have magical abilities, so his presence wasn't required so much on Krypton).

*giggles over the Nightwing/Flamebird Signal*

*grin* I couldn't resist. Hm, I wonder if in other UAs there's a Superbat Signal? ;)

I think Jor-El's still around and grumping mightily about kids running around hugging their grandparents with no sense of propriety whatsoever... (Although from the old Krypton comics I've been reading lately it looks like he'd be the first to start the hugging revolution!)

Ahhhhhahaha, no, only Cir and Kon are theirs. :) Tim, Dick, and Barbara are all fully human kids who've been inspired by Kal and Bruce. Wow, that would be a huge family. I mean, they're definitely Kon's extended family, at least... :)

I enjoyed writing the happy ending! I suspect Luthor continued to put some obstacles in the road to that ending, but there are always ups and downs...

You know, I think this is the first time I've ever written them as actually having children, lol! It's not an easy one for me to imagine--but I think having two helps me, because they provide a sort of...balance? Somehow, hm.

I read this before I left home this morning, but I haven't had time until now to comment... and even now I don't have a lot of time (but I doubt I'll have any at all later on, anyway... *sighs*)

Seeing Tim, Dick and Babs show up totally got me squeeing. hee! :D

This is sooo cute and sweet and fun. A whole new generation of heroes, inspired by the first -- I mean, it's nothing *new* but in that context, in that AU, it's something really cool to contemplate. :)

"They seem so young. Even that faux-Nightwing is barely out of college.""There's nothing 'faux' about Dick," Bruce said, taking Kal's hand and leading him to the couch. "He chose his name in honor of us, and he lives up to it every day. I couldn't ask for a better namesake."

*flail* I'm sure you knew I'd love *that*. hee! :D I love that you have Bruce giving Dick his seal of approval, in a certain way. It's just great. :D I hope this Bruce has had to good sense to tell Dick this in person, too. ;)

I loved this. It made me smile so much. :) I'm still smiling just thinking about it. hee! Thank you!!

*flail* I'm sure you knew I'd love *that*. hee! :D I love that you have Bruce giving Dick his seal of approval, in a certain way. It's just great. :D I hope this Bruce has had to good sense to tell Dick this in person, too. ;)

Yeah, I thought you might enjoy that. :D It was fun to start to sketch out what happens in the intervening years in my mind (I'm not sure I know exactly still, but it was fun!)

I hope you have some free time soon! What good is a weekend with no free time?

Yay, family-ness! I love how things on Earth are going along just fine. (Yes, fighting supervillains counts as "just fine".) Very interesting that Dick/Babs/Tim made it into the superheroics without ever having Batman around.

*grin* I do like that "just fine" includes stopping megalomaniacs. :) I'm not sure exactly how active Clark and Bruce were in the Batclan's creation...they were around but not as involved as in canon...more mentors than parent-figures, I suspect.

I know you wrote Epilogue, but I really hope this is not the last from this awesome series. :D

I like how Bruce is full of pride and Kal worries about Kon. Even as old married couple ;) they love each other very much.

And... *glances around* is it just me or... I mean ... a circle like a yin-yang sign, with a blue curved wing on one side and a crimson flame on the other. it sounds a little as if there's a giant Pepsi-Logo (the old one) in Krypton's sky... *ducks, runs and hides* ^_~

Hee!!!! I can not get over how adorable they both are in this verse! Eeee! :D

Kon looked slightly abashed. "Aw, Dad, you know I don't notice stuff like that in the middle of a battle." He brightened. "But Tim made some sketches of the new design, I'll have him send them along when he's done."

Eeee, Kon!! And Timmy! Timmy! *flails*

Bruce watched as they continued to swap stories of recent battles, wondering not for the first time how it worked out that their son, so much like his Kryptonian parent, loved Earth so dearly, while their quiet, intense, driven daughter was Kryptonian to her core. Genetics were strange.

Awww. *pets Bruce*

"They seem so young. Even that faux-Nightwing is barely out of college."

The idea of Kal being slightly annoyed at this upstart not-Nightwing person really tickles me! :p

"I worry too much? You're the one who had to be stopped from planting bugs in all of Kon's clothing."

"That was years ago," Bruce said airily. "I'm totally over that now."

"Or you still haven't figured out how to keep him or Barbara from detecting them."

"Well...that too."

*giggles* Oh, I love them so. :D

Then a light suddenly streamed in through the skylight, and both of them sat up hurriedly. A beam of light split the sky, filling it with a bright symbol: a circle like a yin-yang sign, with a blue curved wing on one side and a crimson flame on the other.

Oooh! It's the BatNightwing and Flamebird signal!

Awwwwww!!! *rolls around* This was such a lovely epilogue to this verse! *melts* This verse is utterly fantastic, thank you so much for sharing it with us! *glomps*

*grin* Bruce and Clark tend to attract a flock no matter what world they're in. I'm only vaguely sure of what the relationships are myself (Kon and Cir are the only biological children, but the rest range around) but I'm enjoying kind of mulling it over. :)

I'm so sad this series is over, but it was such a sweet ending. As kid-grumpy as Bruce can be, he clearly loves having a big family and it's great to see that's true in this AU too. He's also totally a parental figure that would bug his kids clothes! I feel so sorry for Cir if she ever brings a boy home (or girl, y'know). :P

*giggle* Oh, this is such a cute epilogue, and so fitting. I'm going to keep hoping for some side-stories placed in the sixteen years in the middle, though. ^_^

Kal and Bruce make such great parents. And I love that they have semi-active (and very familiar) caped identities on Earth. And Cir being like Bruce but living on Krypton while Kon is like Kal and lives on Earth is a very nice juxtaposition. I can also think of a good reason for Kon to love Earth so much *sideways glance in Tim's general direction*.

Heee! Aww, I can't believe you're done with this series! ..and that I missed all the 'airing dates' during this past two weeks, meep! I was all 'how can it be over noooo!' but.. it always feels great to finish something, so congratulations!

their son, so much like his Kryptonian parent, loved Earth so dearly, while their quiet, intense, driven daughter was Kryptonian to her core. Genetics were strange.

Hehehe, I cry delusion! I am... not surprised at all, lol. Also, Cir-El! yay! the Supergirl I have no idea what happened with!

"That was years ago," Bruce said airily. "I'm totally over that now."

LOL! totally. He, like, barely ever thinks about it now. Ever. Yep. X) I love their familiar, homey air, and the way they are mixing super heroics with their lives in Krypton. And Earth! yay! it feels.. balanced, and happy. And Kon has a gang! hee! I have trouble imagining the batclan without a 24/7 Bat, but of course they would find somewhere to do what they need to do, and of course they would end up together. Their electric charges are too strong to avoid the pull!

Apparently, she...uh, found out she was created by Brainiac and sacrificed her life so she would never be born in the future and now no one in canon remembers her because she was never born? Which is...far too sad!

A Batclan without a 24/7 Bat is a tough one, I have to grant. I assume Bruce did spend some time there--maybe for a while he found a way to spend a year on Earth while Kal stayed on Krypton or something? Because Bruce seems to know them a little better than Kal does, but that might just be my brain tricking me because they're the Batclan so of course he does, you know? I always have a hard time keeping myself from making assumptions in AUs based on canon, it overlays everything...

(Speaking of AUs, I've been thinking about "Devil of a Tango" a lot lately, maybe because the Earth-3 MotS story is kind of eating my brain even though I won't be writing it for ages and ages! Delicious, delicious Tommy...)

Aw, thanks so much! You know, I've never read Cir-El's full storyline, I came across her in the Superman/Batman comic and was like "Who the heck is this person?" She was gone before I ever knew her, and her story seems so sad to me, forgotten by everyone...

I'm terribly at writing about the flocks of cool characters in the Super and Bat universe, but I do love them, so it was a lot of fun to "cheat" and hint them all in. :) I'm glad you enjoyed it!

I loved all stories of this mini-series. And the Epilogue was amazing. Reading previous chapter i have a feeling even Bruce said no, there still could be hope for them to have children. I was very pleased seeing how it turned out in this chapter. The children are wonderful! And so much their parents-like. :)

I loved especially this sentences: wondering not for the first time how it worked out that their son, so much like his Kryptonian parent, loved Earth so dearly, while their quiet, intense, driven daughter was Kryptonian to her core. Genetics were strange.So amazingly balanced. :)

And the Epilogue was amazing. Reading previous chapter i have a feeling even Bruce said no, there still could be hope for them to have children. I was very pleased seeing how it turned out in this chapter.

*grin* The more Bruce insists something is impossible, the more he's thinking of ways to make it possible, I suspect!

I loved the idea of the Krypton-loving child being like Bruce and the Earth-loving child being like Kal, I just couldn't resist.